How Carrie Joined the Avengers
by Bad Ass Female Fighter
Summary: Crossover AU: When Carrie runs away from home, she finds herself in New York around the same time the Hulk starts rampaging out of no where. This sets off a chain that brings her to Avengers Tower. Warning: Mentions of child abuse.


Carrietta White, or Carrie, as she prefers to be called, was wandering the big city of New York with her knapsack strapped to her back. She had just arrived in the populated city after finally escaping her suffocating and painful life in Chamberlain, Maine. She was currently 15-years-old and on her own, which wasn't new to her, sadly enough. But the bright side, she was no longer under the abusive thumb of her mother and the cruelty of her peers.

She touched her healing shoulder, wincing slightly at the stitches she performed upon herself to close up the last injury Margaret gave to her that caused her to finally say enough. Carrie didn't kill Margaret, merely knocked her down with a very powerful telekinetic blast that left her unconscious. Unable to take living in that horrible town for much longer, she packed all the clothes and necessities she could find and took all the cash her mother hid in the house and left on the first train out of Chamberlain. As frightening as the journey seemed to her, she was relieved, happy to be able to breathe after so long. Yes she doesn't have a home, but at least she was free.

Suddenly, the ground shook as a loud roar echoed about a block away, causing panic in the streets before a giant green creature smashed cars as it charged out of a building. Carrie didn't have time to react before she was knocked to the ground by the crowd that ran passed her, not bothering to help or apologize for their actions. She gritted her teeth in pain as she felt the stitches open up, making her look at her shoulder to see blood seeping through the bandages and gauze underneath her cardigan. She shakily got up from the ground, sticking to the side to avoid getting knocked down again as she watched the green monster roar at the flying man in metal and another in American colors who were trying to subdue him, but none of their attacks seem to work.

Carrie watched with wide eyes as the green giant swatted the man in yellow and red away as if he were a bug, his body crashing into the building. She gasped when a large disk cut through the air and hit the giant straight in the jaw, but this had any effect and served to make him angrier as he picked up a random car and chucked it at the man that tossed the shield at him. The man dodged, but the car didn't stop as it flew straight towards a middle aged pedestrian that was having trouble trying to get up after being knocked down by the terrified crowd.

Carrie didn't think, her body moved on its own with a speed she didn't know she had until she stood between the citizen and the rapidly approaching vehicle. She threw her hands up in front of her, summoning her powers to stop the car in mid-air just as it came three feet away from them. Carrie let out a shaking breath, relieved to have stopped the car in time before setting it down gently. Turning her head to face the man she just saved, she saw awe and fear in his eyes as he stood up on unsteady feet. Carrie recognized that kind of fear, and despite how much it stung her to be looked at with such eyes, she understood why, and forgave him. She bowed her head to the man in acknowledgement and respect before turning back to the green giant who continued to rampage on the street. Taking a deep breath, she touched the cross that hung from her neck before walking towards the creature, whispering a prayer to Jesus and readying her telekinetic abilities.

The Hulk slammed Captain America into a car, creating a very deep indentation before he caught sight of a young girl walking towards him at a calm sedate pace, eyes filled with barely concealed trepidation as she watched his movements. He roared uncontrollably as he stomped towards the young girl, clenching his fists, ready to use his strength if she so much as threw a rock at him.

Carrie halted in her steps as the Hulk approached her, looking much bigger and angrier the closer he got. She clutched the cross in her hand, summoning all the courage within her soul to stand her ground as she raised her other hand towards the monster. Her telekinesis surrounded the creature, not restricting him, but gently holding him in a way that would calm a hysterical animal. The Hulk slowed down in his strides as confusion filled his face, watching the girl who bravely stood her ground with her hand outstretched in front of her.

She took a deep breath as the Hulk stopped just five feet away from her, his whole body shaking as he calmed down under the hold of her telekinesis. She closed her eyes as she stepped forward, her mind going blank as she gently peeked into the creature's mind, not sure what she would find with her telepathy, but knew she had to try and find the source of the problem. There, she could hear it, a feint whisper echoing in the dark, trying to fight back...trying to gain control of the creature.

The Hulk couldn't understand what was happening, but he felt warm and safe under an invisible force that enveloped him as the girl got closer, seemingly much calmer as her hand came near his face.

Carrie opened her eyes the moment her very small fingers came in contact with his chin, looking into the Hulk's eyes, she no longer saw anger or rage festering within his soul. Instead, she saw pain and conflict being waged inside of him. Sadness and sympathy came onto Carrie's face as she understood what the creature was going through internally, constantly fighting a battle that didn't matter whether he wins or loses. The Hulk felt at peace as the nice girl continued stroking his cheek with her small hand, her expression sad yet understanding as she smiled up at him.

Steve Rogers and Tony Stark already got out of the indented car and damaged building they were thrown into as they watched the strange girl calm their friend down. "Cap', Hawkeye, are you seeing this?" Tony asked incredulously into the comlink as he witnessed the girl smile up at the big green guy without any fear. "I'm seeing it, but I can't believe it." Clint said, his bow drawn as he watched the exchange from his vantage point on one of the buildings.

Just then, Carrie surprised everyone who saw them by gently wrapping her arms around the Hulk's large neck, wincing slightly as the movement made her shoulder flare up in pain. The Avengers tensed, fearing for the girl's life. However, after a moment, the Hulk's hands moved very slowly as he returned her embrace, his large fingers gently hugging the girl so he doesn't accidentally crush her.

Carrie smiled, "It's going to be okay." she whispered into the Hulk's ear as his breathing slowed down as his transformation took place. He became smaller, his arms still wrapped loosely around her as he steadily shrank back to normal size. Bruce breathed out a sigh of relief, happy the other guy has been sent back. His legs shook, unable to handle the weight or the strain his body went through before he slumped against Carrie who stumbled in surprise before she used her powers to lower him to the ground until he was resting on his back.

Carrie looked at his face and saw that he was unconscious, breathing out a sigh of relief as the adrenaline finally wore off. At the sound of approaching footsteps, she looked up to see Iron Man and Captain America standing in front of them. She raised her hand up, ready to use her powers again if need be, "Please, do not hurt him, this wasn't his fault." she pleaded, fearing for the man's life.

Steve couldn't help but smile, she reminded him of himself, ready to stand up for the defenseless even if the odds were against them. "You needn't fear for him ma'am, he's actually our comrade who had the misfortune of getting attacked by an enemy who administered a drug on him that awoke the Hulk." Steve informed the girl, taking note of how small and young she looked in comparison to himself and Tony.

Carrie was hesitant as she looked between the two men and the unconscious man she was kneeling beside, "Can I have your word on that?" she asked, looking Captain America straight in the eye, using her telepathy to brush with his conscious in order to detect an form of deceit.

"Trust me. He is my friend." Steve said, seeing fear for Bruce and innocence within her eyes as she locked eyes with the soldier.

Carrie felt nothing but pure honesty from the man's soul, which was refreshing to her after years of cruelty and abuse from the kids in Chamberlain. After a moment, she bowed her head and stood up, drawing in a breath as her shoulder flared up again in pain, "Then, I am no longer needed here if he is safe with you." she said as sirens approached them.

"I have to go, please excuse me." Carrie hastily said before running away, leaving the two men bewildered as she disappeared down an alleyway.

"Wait, ma'am!" Steve yelled in surprise at her sudden departure as Tony linked their archer, "Clint."

"Don't worry, I'm following her right now." Clint responded, watching the young girl dash away from the scene, clutching her shoulder as she ran.

"Good, just keep her in your sight, but do not engage. We don't want to scare her." Steve said as the Quinjet hovered over their heads, ready to receive them as the ramp opened. Tony picked up an unconscious Bruce and flew him into the jet before coming back for Steve. Once everyone was on board, Natasha flew them back to Avengers Tower to treat their injuries and find information on the mysterious girl that tamed the Hulk.

* * *

In a secluded area of an abandoned warehouse, Carrie sat in her tank top as she undid the bandages from her shoulder to clean the stitches and reapply the medicine needed to keep the infection out. She inhaled sharply at the stinging pain, she kept her tears back as she wet a clean rag with bottled water and began cleaning the blood around the deep cut. After cleaning the wound, she replaced the gauze and wrapped a new set of bandages around the afflicted area.

Tying off the bandage, she leaned back against her knapsack as she looked up at the whole in the roof, watching the sky begin to darken as night approached. She sighed as a pleasant smile came to her face, that feeling of accomplishment never going away as she thought of what she did with her powers, how she used them for good. It was truly an invigorating sensation.

She held the cross in her hand and whispered a prayer and a thank you to God for not letting anymore people get hurt today. After whispering an amen, she opened her knapsack and pulled out a candle, matches and her journal where she lit the candle to give her some light while she wrote her thoughts down in her little book, completely unaware of a pair of eyes watching her through the opening of the roof.

* * *

"Got anything yet?" Steve asked Tony as he stepped into the latter's workshop after receiving medical help.

Tony nodded silently, which surprised Steve because usually the man would talk his head off and make some jokes here and there about a person they were finding information. Without saying a word, the billionaire pulled up the girl's information on the screen, a frown set on his face as her picture came up. "Her name is Carrie White. She was born in Chamberlain, Maine to a woman named Margaret White and Ralph White. Her father's dead, and her mother..." Tony paused, unable to say the words as Steve read over the information, the latter's eyes widening when he got to the police report.

"...She abused her daughter." Steve finished Tony's sentence, his heart twisting as he read the details of the woman's abuse towards the girl.

Tony shook his head in sadness, "It goes beyond abuse Steve." he said as he pulled up Carrie's school records, "This girl was terrorized by her classmates because their parents didn't like her mother due to the woman's crazy fanatic religious personality." he said, not needing to look at the soldier to see a look of anger at the mention of bullies. "Margaret was suffering from a mental illness and would take out her frustration on Carrie, and get this, the woman would lock her daughter up in the 'prayer closet' to have her pray for forgiveness on whatever action she perceives as a sin." Tony said as photos of said closet that showed Jesus on the cross and claw marks and blood on the door.

Looking at the pictures that were taken by the police, Steve practically shook in anger, his hands gripping the edge of the table as he imagined all the pain this girl must've suffered at this tyrant's claws. "How could this woman do all that to her own daughter? She dares call herself a Christian."

Tony was silent as Steve vented his anger and frustration at Carrie's mother. "I almost was unable to find the kid's information through facial recognition seeing how she is always in the background of everything. But the Chamberlain police has the girl on the missing person's data base after neighbor's reported screaming in the White residence. When the police got there, Margaret was having one of her violent episodes, her nightgown was covered in blood and her hand was holding a knife." At Steve's wide eyes, he continued, "But there was no sign of Carrie White anywhere, just a blood stain on the girl's bed. Get this, there was a full body sized indentation in the wall across the bed." he pulled up another police photo that showed a large dent beside the blood stained sheets of the bed.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say the kid used her powers to push her crazy mother off of her and bashed her into the wall before amscraying it out of that nut house." Tony said, making Steve turn to him in confusion, "What powers?"

At Steve's question, Tony pulled up a Youtube video that was recently taken down by the man himself as it showed the girl's back as she stepped in front of a fallen pedestrian and stopped the flying car that almost squashed them. "Telekinesis." Tony summarized as they watched Carrie stop the car in midair before setting it down gently, "And I don't think that's her only power if she was able to calm the big guy." he added, remembering how the Hulk calmed down after the girl made contact with the creature.

"'Twas beauty that killed the beast." a voice behind them echoed, the billionaire sighed as he and the soldier turned to see the Director of SHIELD walk into the room.

"What do you want Nick?" Tony asked as the eye patch man approached them.

"The same thing you want: that kid." Nick answered, pointing at the school picture that showed Carrie's sad unsmiling face. "Now before you accuse me of anything, let me clarify things for you, that girl's mother is in the loony bin getting the help she needs and her daddy is dead, no one in that shithole town cared for the girl except the police that posted those missing child pictures. She has no living relatives, no home, and no form of guidance. That makes her an easy target for other parties to take advantage of and make use of her powers. Which is why _you_ are going to find her and bring her into the Avengers." he finished, watching their eyes widen at what the Director of SHIELD had just ordered them to do.

"You want us to _what_?" Steve exclaimed, "Fury, she's a kid!"

"A kid who was able to pacify the Hulk while you two were taking a small nap." Nick stated bluntly, "The powers that be were not happy when Dr. Banner lost control of the big guy, but when I showed them video footage of what Carrie did to turn him back, they ordered me to order you to bring that girl in if only to keep the Hulk under control should he be let loose again." he said, watching their faces change from conflict to resignation.

"The kid was reported missing a week prior to this incident, if her mother _did_ stab her with a knife, then she'll need medical attention pronto." he informed them, "She has no one, she's alone, and she's homeless. You give her a place to stay, she keeps the Hulk under wraps if Bruce fails, the higher ups get off my back, everyone wins. Need I say more?"

Tony sighed, "He's got a point there Cap'." he said, turning to his friend and team mate.

"What if she doesn't want to join?" Steve asked, not liking the idea of forcing someone so young to fight.

"Give me ten minutes alone with her and she'll be an Avenger apprentice." Nick answered, though Steve still looked skeptical.

"Honestly, I think that would have the opposite effect. I mean, look at you. You don't give off the friendly vibe." Tony remarked snidely, gesturing to his appearance.

Nick frowned at the billionaire, "Just find the kid." he ordered before turning on his heel and walking out of the room.

"Charming as ever." Tony commented once he was sure the bald man was out of earshot.

Steve nodded, "When he wants something, he gets it." he said as Tony contacted Barton, "Clint, what your status on the kid?"

"At an abandoned warehouse on the East side of the city. I'm currently on the roof of said warehouse trying to make sure no bum takes advantage of an adolescent girl while she is sleeping against a crate with a stuffed lamb cuddled up to her neck." Clint reported from his spot on top of the warehouse glancing down at the girl who was curled up in fetal position clutching a toy to her chest, "Seriously, the kid reminds me of a little kitten."

"You lost me at 'lamb'." Tony said, the image popping into his head as Steve rolled his eyes at the former. "How is her condition?" he asked the archer.

"She has a laceration on her right shoulder. It's not from her encounter with Bruce." Clint added, remembering the injury on her shoulder.

"How deep is the wound?" Steve asked, worried for the girl's health.

"I couldn't tell, it was stitched up. Why? Do you have something on the kid?" Clint asked, watching the young girl sleep peacefully, completely innocent to the world around her.

"Her name is Carrie White, she was reported missing by police in a small town called Chamberlain, Maine about a week ago. Evidence suggest that her schizophrenic mother attacked her with a knife and she ran to get away." Tony filled Clint in, imagining the archer's eyes widen at this bit of information.

"Excuse me?" Clint exclaimed, keeping his volume low so he doesn't accidentally alarm the kid from sleep.

"We'll give you the whole story later. Just keep watching the kid until we get there." Tony said as he and Steve walked away from the monitor.

* * *

Carrie's eyes shot open as the feeling of being hunted shot down her spine. Clutching her childhood toy to her chest, she quickly got up from her fetal position and swiftly packed her things back in her knapsack. With her bag strapped to her back once again, she left the warehouse to find a better safe haven for her to hide out in. Her eyes darted left and right as she sped walked down the street, feeling paranoid and frightened as she felt someone watching her every move.

Her hood was up, covering her hair and shielding her from the elements as she clutched the strap of her pack. She paused in her steps when her eyes caught sight of church in front of. Going on impulse, she made a beeline towards the house of God, opening the doors before slipping inside the holy sanctuary.

Carrie walked between the aisle of the church, feeling the tranquility and peace within the house of God. Hanging up at the center behind the podium was Jesus on the cross, his eyes vacant as he stared unseeing at all who stood before him. Standing before Jesus, she bowed her head in respect whilst making the sigh of the cross with her fingers. Raising her head up, she took a seat in one of the long benches, setting her knapsack at her feet before weaving her fingers together and bowing her head in prayer.

* * *

"Target's on the move, heading towards the church not far from the warehouse." Clint said into his ear piece as he watched the skittish girl squeeze through the doorway, glancing behind her in fear before disappearing inside.

"Did she see you?" Steve asked from the passenger seat while Natasha sat in behind Tony who drove the van towards the location Clint provided.

"No, I was completely out of sight. She must've sensed me." Clint mused, impressed the girl's instincts that told her someone was following her.

"Well don't approach her yet, we don't want to scare her anymore than she already is." Steve said sternly, knowing that with the kind of life Carrie had lived, she was sure to be wary of her new surroundings.

"Copy that." Clint said as he leapt down on the fire escape until he touched the ground before making his way towards the church.

* * *

Carrie was so deep in her prayers, she didn't hear the priest approaching, "Have my eyes deceived me, or has one of Gods angels come to bless this holy place." Carrie gasped, lifting her head up to meet the pleasantly smiling middle aged man.

"Forgive me for intruding, I didn't know where else to go, I had hoped to find solace under His eye and some form of guidance." Carrie said, bowing her head to the priest who smiled gently at the meek child.

"No forgiveness necessary. It does my heart good to know that one of His faithful children would want to visit, no matter how late the hour is. Plus, it's not as lonely." He said, making Carrie smile a little at his jest before she returned to praying.

"Pardon me child, but may I sit?" The priest requested before Carrie scooted to the right to give the priest some room as he sat down beside her.

Upon sitting down, he took notice of the girl's knapsack, "You're a long way from home child." he stated rather than asked, watching Carrie's shoulders tense up.

"Home?" Carrie asked, a shadow of pain crossing her face, "I don't have a home; I never had a home...just a prison for which my mother wanted me to rot in." she whispered, clenching her woven fingers together.

The priest watched with pity as he saw the pain she was hiding deep within her soul, something he has seen in many downtrodden people and was familiar with. "Do you wish to talk about it?" he asked, causing Carrie to glance at him in surprise, this being the first time anyone asked her about her problems.

"Unless you don't want to, then I understand." The priest added, letting it be her choice on whether she wants to share her story with another person.

Carrie shook her head, "It's not that. It's just...no one has ever asked me that...no one." she said, her voice cracking slightly in emotion.

"Why is that?" the priest couldn't help but ask as he felt a wave of pain and sadness rolling off the girl.

Carrie swallowed the lump in her throat before she opened her mouth, her whole life spilling from her lips.

* * *

Clint watched from the shadows as Carrie speak with the priest, listening to the girl describe the kind of life she had with her mother and how no one, not one person, showed even a hint of compassion because of that woman. His heart broke at every painful detail the girl painted within his mind, anger festered within his soul as he clenched his fists tightly, the desire to wreak havoc upon that disgusting town rising as Carrie started to cry from the pain she kept inside.

* * *

Carrie lowered her head as she cried into her hands, unable to keep her feelings bottled up inside anymore. Her whole body shook from the emotional turmoil as the priest sympathetically rubbed her back in an attempt to soothe her pain. His heart broke for the girl, how anyone could treat such an innocent helpless child for so many years is beyond him and it took all his self control to keep from lashing out at God for allowing this to befall such a fragile creature.

The priest sighed, "I'm sorry that all happened to you, no child deserves to go through that kind of torment." he said, not sure what else he could say that would alleviate the girl of her pain.

"It was because my daddy took her that I was born of sin." Carrie hiccupped, tears falling endlessly down her cheeks, "She said my father gave her a cancer... I was a cancer. She never wanted me, no one did, so she punishes my existence because of it." she sobbed, gasping and sniffling as she remembered the words her own mother said to her.

The priest's eyes filled with tears as he felt her pain, so much sorrow for one defenseless child to hold onto all because she is something she could not help. Swallowing the lump that was lodged in his throat, he spoke, "You said your mother was a Christian?" he asked Carrie who nodded, unable to use her voice without blubbering.

"Then she's obviously no true Christian if she is willing to hurt her own child while preaching His name to justify her actions." The priest said, shaking his head at the shameful act the girl's mother committed against her. "Just because a child is unplanned, doesn't mean they are a sin. Judge not a child for the actions of their parent for they are innocent within the eyes of the Lord." he added, speaking with wisdom from years of experience and as a servant of God.

"If so...then why am I really here..." Carrie whispered, not trusting her voice to go above the volume she set without cracking, "...why am I alive if it means to feel pain." she sniffles, drawing in a breath, "What purpose do I serve in this world if the only thing I've been taught in my life is loneliness? What role do I have in this life?" she asked, turning to the priest, unable to understand the reason for her existence.

The priest was silent, pausing as he tried to figure out how to answer this girl's question. After what felt like an eternity, he sighed, "I wish I can give you the answers you seek." he regretfully said, "But let me tell you something, and this took me years to learn. God gave us the gift of life, and it is up to us to determine _how_ we use this precious gift." he said, locking eyes with the girl who peeked up at him beneath her strawberry blonde hair, "There is a reason each of us are born, we have to find those reasons. Your reason is not to suffer the way your mother intended. But it is because of your suffering, you are able to understand and help others who have gone through the same thing." he paused as Carrie absorbed the meaning behind his words, "God gave you a gift, you must use it well. Whatever plans He has for you, it is not to be alone. You _do_ have a purpose, you just have to find it._"_

Carrie swallowed her saliva, "How will I know?" she asked, feeling doubtful about her ability to find what she's looking for.

"Just be patient and you'll know. If anything," he pointed to the cross, "He'll send you a sign." Carrie smiled slightly at his words, feeling a little better after spilling her guts out to the priest.

She nodded at the priest's wise words, "I hope you're right."

The priest gently smiled at the girl, "Never doubt your worth in this world, because you have more to offer than you think." he said, making her smile widen a fraction at his kind words.

Carrie nodded her head again before moving to stand up, feeling a little more confident in herself. "Thank you very much, I'm feeling better now." she said as the priest stood up and moved out of the way for her to get through.

"I'm happy to be of service." The priest said, glad he got the sweet child to smile after all the pain she went through. "The house of God is always open to you should you need guidance and counsel." he offered, making Carrie smile in gratitude for the priest.

"Also," he began, "I should be the one thanking you." he said, confusing the girl who didn't understand what he meant.

"What have I done?" Carrie asked, curious about the reason why he would thank her.

"You saved me from getting hit by that car." he smiled, watching Carrie's eyes widen upon recognition as she got a better look at the man from before. "I never got the chance to thank you earlier, I thought I'd never get the chance to after that. But I thank you now." he said, bowing his head in gratitude to the young child that saved his life.

Carrie felt her heart soar at the praise she just received, feeling happier as she nodded her head to the priest again, "Thank you, and you're welcome." she said before walking towards the church doors, having more confidence in herself as she stepped into the night air, not noticing the black van that was parked just out of sight of said church.

* * *

"She's moving again." Natasha stated, watching the young girl leave the church with renewed energy before she caught sight of Clint's shadow following her at a safe distance.

"Guys, how exactly are we doing this?" Tony asked, not taking his eyes off the kid before she disappeared as she turned a corner of a building, "Tracking down an enemy, I understand, I like throwing punches. But I'm not comfortable with jumping in front of young girls and asking them to come with me." he said, unsure how to proceed with recruiting a little girl who has gone through hell because of her mother.

"You did hear yourself, right?" Clint commented over the earpiece, making Tony uncomfortable when the latter realized how he phrased that.

"Orders are orders," Natasha said, ignoring their banter, "we just have to approach her without appearing like a threat. Given her upbringing, I doubt she had much interaction with the opposite gender." she mused, having gotten the run down on Carrie's life from Tony and Steve.

"Yeah, I get that, bu-WAAAHH!" Clint yelled in surprise, startling the people in the car.

"Hawkeye, what's going on? Clint?" Steve exclaimed into the transceiver, worried for the archer.

* * *

Clint was dangled in midair in an alleyway as he hung upside down by his legs, the sudden lurching made him feel disoriented as he tried to make sense of what just happened.

"What do you want from me?" Carrie asked, getting his attention to see the young girl with her hand raised, holding him in midair using her power. Upside down, he could see that the young girl was frightened when she saw his bow and arrows strapped to his back.

"Hi, Clint Barton, nice to meet you." he introduced himself as he held out his hand for her to shake.

Carrie stared at his hand in curiosity, still scared of the man who had weapons on him, meaning he was dangerous. She didn't shake his hand, not trusting him as she dangled him in front of her.

Clint withdrew his hand, "Okay, look, I know how this must seem to you, and you have every right not to trust me, but believe me when I say that we mean you no harm."

"'We'?" Carrie repeated, tensing herself incase others attacked.

"Yes, my colleagues and I, we are grateful to you for calming Bruce down. The big green guy, remember him?" Clint added, watching Carrie's eyes widen before she gave him a scrutinizing stare. After a moment, she turned him right side up before setting him down on his feet.

"Whoa, that was weird." Clint said, stumbling in surprise after being released from her telekinetic hold.

"How long have you been following me?" Carrie asked, ignoring his comment as she maintained their distance.

"Since you got the Hulk to revert back." Clint answered, watching how she gripped the strap of her knapsack, keeping her guard up.

"Why?" Carrie questioned, ready to run if this man tried anything.

Clint sighed, "Because you did something incredibly brave today. Not many people have the guts to march up to the Hulk and get him to calm down. It was really amazing." he smiled, praising the girl, hoping she would calm down as well.

Carrie relaxed her shoulders, feeling a little comfortable in this man's presence, "Um, I never really did anything." she said, self-consciously looking down at her feet.

Clint smiled at her shy yet humble response, "You say that, but honestly, you've done more than what my team could accomplish with minimal damage...and insurance." he added sheepishly, making Carrie laugh under her breath.

"Is he okay, 'Bruce', you said his name was?" Carrie asked, curious about the man's condition.

"Oh, trust me, he's fine, just sleeping it off after the bad day he had." Clint answered with a wave of his hand, knowing Bruce well enough.

Carrie smiled, "That's good, I'm glad he's okay." she said, relieved about the man's condition before she made a move to turn around and leave. "If that's all, I'm gonna go now."

Clint held up his hand to stop her, "Hold on a minute Carrie, there's something else we wanted to talk to you about." he said, making her pause in her movements to regard him, "Thanking you was not the only thing I came here to do. You're gonna find this very hard to believe-"

"How do you know my name?" Carrie cut him off, surprising him before he did a double take, "Sorry?"

Fear filled the girl's face as she took a step back, "I never gave you my name." she whispered, looking at him like a dear caught in headlights.

Clint could see that the girl was getting ready to run. Holding both hands up as a sign of peace, he tried talking to her again, "Carrie, I know how this must seem to you, but I mean you no harm. I know what you are, about the kind of power you have."

That last sentence sparked newfound terror down her spine as memories of being locked in the closet flashed through her mind. If her mother was willing to lock her in that cramped space because of her abilities, the next place she'll be sent to will be more painful and horrendous. She began to hyperventilate, her mind leaving the present as it slipped into one where the door slammed shut, locking her in that prison.

Clint saw that she was having a panic attack, "Hey, Carrie, listen, calm down." he stepped forward, trying to help her. Carrie's eyes went wide with hysteria as her arm shot out, forcibly slamming Clint into the brick wall, knocking him unconscious before she sprinted away from the area.

* * *

"She's on the move." Steve said as he leapt out of the van that was close to Barton's location. "Natasha, help Barton." he ordered as he started running towards where Carrie ran off to.

"Wait, what about me?" Tony exclaimed as Natasha left the van. He sighed before contacting his AI.

* * *

Carrie didn't look behind her for fear that Clint Barton man was following her as she ran between alleyways and fences, her knapsack getting stuck in the latter in her haste before she managed to shake herself free.

"Ms. White!" Carrie gasped when she saw a man running towards her, she didn't wait for his explanation as she turned to the right, trying to escape her pursuer until she skid to a halt when she found herself at a dead end.

Her breathing became shallow as she looked for a way out before an idea came to her. Taking a deep breath, she concentrated her power around her body, a moment later, her feet were no longer on the ground as she steadily levitated herself up the brick wall.

Steve halted when he saw Carrie float along the wall of the dead end, "Ms. White!" his voice broke her concentration for a second, causing her to fall a little before she regained control. "Wait a minute, we just wanna talk!" he said, trying to get the girl to stop and listen to what he had to say.

Carrie ignored him as her feet touched the roof. Looking down, she saw him waving at her to come down, but she shook her head 'no' before turning away and running across the roof, using her telekinesis to jump at a distance towards the next building, her feet touching down before making a running start for the next building in her path. This mode of travel would have been fun for her if not for the situation.

Just when she was floating towards the next rooftop, something slammed into her, knocking the breath right out of her as metal arms wrapped around her. "Kid, calm down, we're trying to help you!" Tony said from within his armor as he held the small girl in his arms.

Carrie felt claustrophobic being held like this, her heart rate ringing in her ears as she tried to think of a way out of her predicament. Her eyes caught sight of how the bottom of his metal boots flew them through the air, focusing her power on the right boot, she made quick work to short circuit said boot.

Tony jolted when the rockets from his boot suddenly exploded, leaving smoke streaming out as he struggled to fly with his other boot. However, without proper balance, he and Carrie ended up plummeting towards the ground. Knowing his armor can take the damage of the fall, he maneuvered himself to land on his back and cushion Carrie's landing.

The billionaire groaned from the impact, "You alright kid?" silence was his answer, "Kid?" sitting up, he looked down to see her passed out, mumbling in her state of unconsciousness. Tony sighed before contacting his team, "Guys, I got her, she's sleeping now, and the rockets in my boots seem to have short circuited. So come get us please." he added, completely bewildered by how his suit suddenly malfunctioned.

Looking down at the young girl, he noticed how pale she is, as though not a spec of sunshine ever touched her skin. Upon closer inspection, he caught sight of red seeping heavily through the sweater she was wearing. "Oh crap, guys get here faster."

* * *

_Morning _

Hours after their late night chase, Carrie was sleeping peacefully after Bruce fixed up her stitches and bandaged her shoulder again.

Clint held an ice pack to his head as he drank beer, his eyes scanning the crossword puzzle on the newspaper to kill time as he waited for Tony to finish making breakfast.

"You're not gonna stay mad at the kid for hitting you with a building, are you?" Tony asked in amusement, breaking the silence as he flipped the bacon on the sizzling pan.

"The impulse I understand, she didn't trust anyone very easily. Which earns her points for survival in my book." Clint said then pointed his beer at Tony, "What about you, was she the one that damaged your suit?"

Tony pointed his tongs at the archer, "I don't wanna go blaming the kid just yet. If she _did_ make my suit malfunction, then kudos to her for rendering her opponent without a means to fight back." he said, returning to the stove.

"So recruitment didn't go as smoothly as you all hoped." Tony paused, sighing at the voice that entered the fray. _"Who_ keeps letting you in?" he asked, turning to face Nick Fury who entered the common area.

"I have my ways." Nick answered dismissing his question then asked, "So where's the kid?"

"Sleeping." Clint answered, still holding the ice pack to his head. "Last night's mishap opened up the stitches on her shoulder. Thankfully, nothing was infected."

Tony came over with plates filled with eggs and bacon, "Nope, but I was impressed by her suturing skills she did upon herself." he said, confusion written on their faces before he added, "I found a sewing kit in her bag, needle thread and all. Turns out her crazy mother was decent enough to teach her how to sew. Since she didn't go to the nearest hospital to get treatment, she stitched herself back together." he explained, having looked into the mother's profession.

"Why not go to the hospital in the first place? Not that I'm criticizing her basic survival skills, but surely a girl would have more sense to go get professional help from authorities." Clint said, impressed and curious about the girl they had just brought into the tower.

Tony pulled up his phone to she the archer Carrie's medical profile, "That's the thing Clint, she's never been to a hospital in her life. In fact, there's absolutely zero on her medical history, no check ups, no flu shots, nothing." he said, shaking his head, "If her mother was crazy enough to follow the Bible instead of stepping into the 21st Century, then she would see any scientific discovery, medicine included, as some kind of sin."

Clint stared at the information with wide eyes, glancing at Fury to see no reaction, meaning he already knew about this girl's upbringing. "What? Are you kidding me?" he said incredulously, "I know the kid's mother was insane, but what era does she believe that not helping her daughter is okay?" he said, feeling his paternal instincts flaring for Carrie's sake.

Tony scoffed with Clint, "Feh, you got me. I wouldn't be surprised if the kid never even heard of a hospital, or the police if her mother was intending to keep her inside for the rest of her life." he said, putting away his phone to stab at the egg with a fork.

"She didn't know that she _could_ get help." Nick chimed in, leaning against the counter, "But considering her school record, while she excelled in English and did okay in her other classes, she had no friends, only bullies. She wanted help, but didn't receive any."

Clint sighed out in frustration and anger at the mention, "Little bastards." he muttered as Natasha walked into the common are with a little book in her hand. She took a seat in the stool next to her partner, "This is Carrie's journal." she said, presenting them the book as she set it down in the middle of the counter.

"Did you look inside without asking, 'cause that's usually my forte." Tony said, picking up the worn cover of the book.

Natasha prevented herself from rolling her eyes at him, "Standard protocol. She's written down man things in that little book, her thoughts, her life, poetry, and most recently about the discovery of her powers." she said as Tony unashamedly opened the book and started skimming through the pages.

"Poem, poem, mommy is horrible, poem, classmates are jerks, poem-jeez she has a way with using words in poetry, even I'm starting to get depressed!" Tony exclaimed after reading a very emotional one that had water marks on them, no doubt from the girl's tears.

"Page 76." Natasha suggested as Tony flipped over to the page. After reading the first line, he snapped the book shut, red in the face, "Nope!" he said, sliding the book back to Natasha.

Natasha hid the smile at Tony's embarrassment after reading that first sentence of that page, "Okay, since you read it, I'll give you the summary." she began, knowing Clint and Nick were curious about what Tony refused to read. "The morning Carrie experienced her first menstrual cycle, her mother went ballistic, saying that because she was now a woman, she sinned. I'm not gonna go into made up Bible verses, 'cause they're a load of bull." they nodded in agreement as she continued, "Apparently, puberty along with all the emotions and pent up anger towards her mother caused her powers to awaken. She describes the moment where she created a vertical crack in the closet door when her mother sent her inside to pray for forgiveness."

"The more I hear about this woman the more I want to strangle her." Clint commented, gripping the bottle tightly in his hand.

"So her power presented itself when she hit puberty." Nick stated, but the look on Natasha's face told them that there was more to it than that.

"I don't think her power was ever asleep, sir." she said before flipping to a page in Carrie's journal. "Carrie remembered something from when she was three-years-old. She was talking to her neighbor, Estelle Horan, I don't want to go into detail, then Margaret came out and dragged her daughter away from their neighbor. Here's where it gets strange, stones started falling from the sky, but _only _the White residence was hit." she finished, watching their eyes widen at this bit of information.

"Hold on," Tony was the first to speak, "you mean to tell me that a toddler summoned rocks from outer space to rain down on her own house?" he asked incredulously as Natasha shrugged her shoulders.

"It's possible, it could be a coincidence." she mused before their attention turned to Nick in question.

Nick sighed through his nose, "A phenomenon such as this would have been recorded by SHIELD at the time. I'll try and see what I can dig up, but I'm not making any promises." he said, already intending to look into this bit of information the moment Natasha described it to him.

Natasha nodded, "Thank you sir."

Clint furrowed his brow, "Wait, if SHIELD got wind of this incident, why didn't they extract the kid?"

"I don't know if SHIELD _did_ get wind of this. But that is moot right now. The kid is here as the Council wanted. Have you told her yet?" Nick asked the team who shook their heads 'no'.

"We were busy running, flying, crashing-" Clint directed that last word to Tony, smirking at his indignant expression, "-trying to deliver the kid safely to the tower."

"Let's not forget how she smacked you into the wall so hard you fell right asleep." Tony added, with a smirk of his own as the archer flipped him off.

The other two ignored them, "She's still sleeping. Bruce and Steve are taking shifts to watch over her in case she tries jumping out the window." Natasha explained, Nick's eye widened before Tony added, "Yeah, the kid can also levitate herself to certain heights. She doesn't fly, she floats."

Nick nodded his head, "Impressive, she knows how to improvise with her powers. With proper training, she'd be a model Avenger."

"Shouldn't we discuss this with her first, we did after all pluck her from the streets without so much as an explanation, _and_ she just got away from her psychotic religious mother." Tony stated, still not comfortable with the idea of dragging her into danger the Avengers affiliate themselves with.

Someone cleared their throat, making the four occupants around the kitchen counter turn to see Steve and Bruce standing at the entrance with the strawberry blonde hiding slightly behind the soldier. Carrie peeked around Steve's arm to get a better look at the team gathered in the kitchen, looking much calmer and cleaner after the night she had.

"Um," Carrie raised her hand and waved, "hi?"

* * *

_Ten Minutes Earlier _

Carrie slowly opened her eyes to find herself in a completely different place that was not abandoned and smelly. She drew in a quiet breath when she felt someone sitting beside her. Slowly turning her eyes to the side, her breath caught in her throat when she saw the same man who chased her down that alley sleeping in the chair beside the bed. His eyes were closed and his cheek was propped against this knuckles as his elbow planted on the arm rest of said chair.

Carrie kept her breathing calm, but inside, she was panicking at the thought of a full grown man watching her while she was sleeping. Slowly turning to the other side of the bed, she saw a window about five feet from where she was laying down. Memories from the night before sprang to her mind, recalling how she levitated herself up onto the roof to escape her pursuers. If she could levitate herself up, then she can easily and gently float her way down.

With careful and slow movements, she quietly pushed the covers off, stifling a gasp of surprise when she realized she was no longer in the clothes she was wearing before. Instead, she wore plain cotton pajama pants and a tank top, her wound freshly bandaged beneath the strap. She didn't question who or why they changed her while she slept, her main focus was the window. With slow and unsteady steps, she walked over to the window, making sure not to make a sound as she got closer to the curtains. She stopped when she got to her destination, her hand moving the curtain aside to see how high she is and determine the safest route out of town. She almost choked on her spit when she saw how people looked like ants as they moved about on the street below. No way can she float down from such a height.

"You're awake."

Carrie turned around to see a man with dark hair and glasses, wearing a purple shirt with the sleeves rolled up and tucked into his pants. The surprise in his voice when he saw her woke Steve from his slumber. Blinking his eyes groggily, he caught sight of the young girl standing beside the window, her hair disheveled and her eyes alert.

Immediately coming awake, he stood up from where he was sitting, "Ms. White, please don't try jumping out that window." he requested, holding his hands up as a show of peace so he doesn't scare her.

Carrie glanced out the window again before quickly facing the two men, "I do not like heights at all actually." she said slowly, a little disoriented at the imagination of her falling to her death.

"Good. Can you please sit down, I need to check you over." The spectacled man requested, smiling gently at Carrie who nodded slowly before walking back to the bed and sat down on the edge as the former came to stand before her and do his doctor routine.

Carrie got a closer look at the man, he looked familiar to her somehow. "Have we met before?" she asked, trying to figure out where she knew him as he checked her blood pressure.

He laughed through his nose, "Green guy." he answered bluntly, making Carrie's eyes widen when she finally recognized him.

"You're Bruce. That's what Mr. Barton said your name was, right?" Carrie asked as the man removed the strap from her arm.

"That's me. Hey Steve, can you pass the water?" Bruce requested the soldier who poured a pitcher into a cup.

"How are you feeling after...?" Carrie let the question hang in the air, not sure how to describe what the man went through.

Bruce chuckled as he took the water from Steve and handed it to her. "You know, the doctor is supposed to ask the patient that question, not the other way around." he said as Carrie took the water that was offered and took a sip.

"You looked like you were in pain." Carrie said empathetically, remembering the look the Hulk's eyes before and after he changed back to Bruce.

Bruce felt a warm glow of happiness stir in his chest at what she just said, she didn't judge him or seem afraid of him. "Yeah, well, I was having a bad day." he said, adjusting his glasses as Carrie smiled sadly at him before looking down at her cup, "I know the feeling."

Bruce cleared his throat, "Um, Ms. White, I believe you already met Steve Rogers, he's also known as Captain America." he changed the subject, introducing the man who stood at the corner of the bed with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Carrie turned to the soldier who gave her that smile she could vaguely remember, then recalled a man in a mask that approached her after Bruce changed back, "You were the man from before, the one who gave his word."

Steve's smile widened, "Captain Steve Rogers, ma'am. On behalf of the Avengers, I deeply apologize for last night, it was not our intention to scare you." he said, apologizing for their actions.

Carrie's face filled with discomfort as she remembered what happened before she fell unconscious, "Am I under arrest?"

The smiles on the two men's face immediately vanished at her question, "Why would you think that?" Bruce questioned, sitting in the chair closest to the bed.

"For having powers." Carrie answered, holding the cup in her hands very tightly, "It's kinda like a dog that has rabies they can't find a cure for. So they catch it and put the dog down before it can hurt anyone else." she explained her analogy, not noticing the way Bruce gripped the sleeve of his shirt or how Steve looked at her with pity.

"No one's gonna hurt you, Ms. White. We don't do that to little girls here." Steve said, watching the teenager who looked much smaller compared to other girls her age.

"Then why am I here?" Carrie asked, looking up at the two men for answers. But before they could say anything, her stomach growled very loudly. Carrie made a sound that resembled a mouse as her heat came onto her cheeks, embarrassed for the sounds her stomach made.

The men respectfully hid their smiles as Steve coughed into his hand, "Perhaps we can discuss this at breakfast. A young lady such as you needs hot food. Plus, it is time you officially met the team." he said, holding his hand out to the girl who shyly took it before being pulled to her feet as she followed the two men out of the room.

"Except Thor, he's still up in Asgard. You'll meet him at a later date." Bruce added, confusing the girl who didn't know who that was as they came upon the common room where four people gathered around a kitchen counter.

* * *

"Here you go, fresh off the stove." Tony said, pushing a plate filled with eggs, bacon, sausage and toast towards Carrie who sat at the dining table with the Avengers and Nick Fury sitting with her.

"Thank you." Carrie said to the billionaire before taking small bites from her plate, calming her stomach down as it final stopped growling.

"Now, before we get started, let us introduce ourselves." Tony announced as he took a seat at the table. "I'm Tony Stark. You already met Bruce Banner, he's our doctor/scientist." he gestured to the spectacled man who waved at Carrie as she smiled back.

Tony pointed to the rest of his comrades, "Steve Rogers," the soldier nodded, "Clint Barton."

"Sorry." Carrie said to the archer who was still holding an ice pack to his head.

"Happens all the time, no biggie." Clint said, waving off her apology.

"Natasha Romanoff." Tony pointed to the sole female of the team as the red head nodded to the young girl.

"And Nick Fury." The Director of SHIELD was giving Carrie an even expression with his only eye, making her fidget in her seat.

"Don't worry, he only looks mean and scary." Tony joked, trying to put the girl at ease while the Director gave the man a glare.

"Our last member is currently off world at the moment, but you'll meet him eventually." Tony added, finishing introductions.

"Um, I'm Carrietta White. But most people call me Carrie." the telekinetic introduced herself, looking down at her food, unwilling to look them in the eye.

"We already know who you are." Nick stated, sitting across from her, keeping his eye on the girl, "We are also aware of what you went through in Chamberlain, more specifically what happened with your mother." Carrie's eyes widened as she looked up at the Director.

"You don't have to worry about her coming after you, she's been admitted into a psychiatric facility getting the help she needs." He paused, watching as Carrie comprehended his words, "You did the right thing running away from her when you did. Religion and schizophrenia do not play well together."

Carrie shook her head in agreement, "MmMm."

Nick took a breath as he opened his mouth to speak, "I'll cut right to the chase Carrie. What you did yesterday was something no one would even dare imagine themselves doing. You saved us a lot of trouble and property damage when you helped Bruce reign in the Hulk." Bruce looked down, ashamed over what he had done.

"I didn't do much really." Carrie said sheepishly, not used to this kind of attention.

"Exactly!" Tony exclaimed, getting her attention, "While me and Steve were getting our asses handed to us, you just walked up to Bruce-y boy here and just pet him to make him fall asleep." he said, clapping the scientist on the shoulder.

"He looked like he was in pain. I didn't want to solve violence with violence." Carrie said, shaking her head at the thought of bringing harm to another to make things right. Everyone shared a smile at her words, even Nick, though his quickly disappeared as soon as it came.

Nick then said, "You helped us without so much as a thought for your own safety. That takes more guts than I thought you were capable of at first glance."

"Um, thank you?" Carrie said, unsure if that was a compliment.

"Believe it kid, you're special." Tony said, leaning back in his chair, "Which is exactly the reason why you are here right now."

Carrie looked at him in question, "How am I special?"

Clint took a sip of his beer then commented, "You obviously didn't get much praise growing up."

Natasha spoke next, watching the girl's reaction, "We want you to join the Avengers." she said, looking Carrie in the eye as she cut to the chase.

Everything was silent as Carrie blinked before raising her hand the way a student would when they have a question, "Forgive my ignorance and lack of knowledge, but what's an Avenger?"

Her question caused a ripple around the table; Tony almost fell backwards in his chair, Clint dropped his ice pack, Nick looked like he was about to face palm himself, Natasha's eyebrows raised up, Steve shook his head and Bruce coughed to disguise the laugh over their reaction to her innocent question.

Carrie looked at them in surprise, "Was it something I said?"

Tony gripped the table to steady himself, "How can you not know what the Avengers are, we're famous worldwide!" he said incredulously as he looked at Carrie in bewilderment.

"I'm sorry, I live under a rock, and I just got into town yesterday, so I don't know much about the recent happenings outside of Chamberlain." Carrie explained sheepishly, feeling self-conscious for her lack of knowledge of the world.

"Have you ever watched the news? It is on TV you know." Clint said as Natasha handed him the ice pack that fell to the floor when he dropped it.

"Mama never allowed TV in the house, she didn't want me filling my head with sinful thoughts that people display." Carrie answered, feeling foolish for being the only kid to not have TV.

"No TV? Really?" Tony exclaimed, giving her a comical look as she nodded.

"What about a movie theater, did you ever go there?" Tony asked, hoping she had some kind of enjoyment out of that shit hole town.

"What's that?" Carrie asked, feeling clueless as Tony's head smacked into the table, "You've gotta be kidding." his voice muffled into the surface.

"Cellphone?" Natasha tried, but Carrie response was, "No."

"What about music, you must've had a radio, stereo, or something." Nick was the next to try, feeling more sorry for the kid than he originally was.

"We had music." Carrie answered, getting a positive reaction from Tony who raised his head and threw his hands in the air, "Hallelujah!"

"Was it gospel music?" Bruce ventured a guess after reading Margaret White's profile.

"Yes." Carrie's answer deflated Tony's mood as his head landed on the table once again, "You've gotta be kidding."

"What century and what part of the country did your mother grow up in?" Clint exclaimed in disbelief for how the woman practically isolated her from the modern world.

"I was too afraid of my mama to ask." Carrie said, ashamed of her own upbringing.

Steve, sitting beside her, reached over and gave her a comforting pat on her uninjured shoulder, "No one is judging you Ms. White. We understand why you didn't know."

"That's right, we gotta catch you up on how technology works, _and_ schedule a Disney movie marathon for you, give you some of your childhood back." Tony said, already making plans to help this girl have some semblance of normality in the Tower.

Carrie smiled a little at the billionaire until a flash of light from outside on the helipad caught their attention. When the light dissipated, a man with a hammer appeared and walked inside the tower with confident strides.

"Who's that?" Carrie asked, getting over her shock at this strange occurrence as the muscled man entered the common room with a smile when he saw the team.

"Friends!" He bellowed in greeting, making Clint wince as it caused his headache to throb.

Carrie glanced at the hammer in the strange man's hand as he got closer to the table, the latter's eyes finally catching the newest face he has not met before, "We have a guest?" he asked, glancing at the team, wanting an explanation.

Tony picked his head up again, letting out a breath as he turned to Thor, "You could not have come at a better time. Carrie," he turned to the girl in question as he gestured to the big man, "meet the final member of our team, Thor Odinson, who knows even less about how the modern world operates than you do. Thor, this is Carrie White, she's an Avenger candidate we're trying to recruit, but she doesn't know what the Avengers are because her crazy mother refused to be part of today's society." he turned to Thor, giving him the rundown of what is currently happening.

The God of Thunder blinked, "Okay." was all he said before taking a seat next to the billionaire.

Tony let out a breath, "Now, where were we?" he asked, returning to the matter at hand.

"We were going to explain to her what the Avengers are." Nick answered, still trying to recover from this sudden revelation of Carrie's upbringing.

"Allow me to explain to the young maiden." Thor offered, facing Carrie with a friendly smile which she shyly returned. "All of us, minus the Director of SHIELD," he began tilting his head to the eye patch, "were gathered together when Earth was in peril and needed saving from forces beyond this world. Each of us are here because of a unique skill set and ability to fight against evil and protect this planet. We are warriors chosen to keep this world safe."

Carrie listened to his every word, absorbing everything that was said before glancing at the rest of the team to see them nodding in agreement. "You want me to become part of the Avengers?" she asked the red head for clarification.

Natasha nodded before holding up Carrie's journal, "That's right, I read your book, you're more than capable in using your powers in a fight." she said as she tossed the book at Carrie before it stopped in midair, just inches from her face, her hair flying just a little from her power.

"I gotta say, aside from how you quickly adapted to your abilities, you write the most beautiful _and _depressing poems in the known world." Tony commented, dragging out the word for emphasis as Carrie plucked the book from the air and settled it in her lap.

Carrie glanced at the billionaire, then at the rest of the team, her hand absentmindedly stroking the cover of her journal. "Mr. Odinson said that you are all fighters." she stated, remembering the man's words.

"That we are, Ms. White." Steve confirmed, watching as the girl frowned, looking down at her book. After a moment, she swallowed her saliva then opened her mouth to speak, "I don't think I can be an Avenger. I'm not a fighter like the rest of you."

"What are you saying, you handled the Hulk just fine." Tony exclaimed, not anticipating her to refuse their offer to join them.

"But I didn't fight. I only know how to protect myself and others with my powers. I cannot think of using it to invoke violence." Carrie explains her reasons, not sure what the extent of her powers are or what they are truly capable of.

"So what you're saying is, you don't want to be an Avenger because you believe you can never be a fighter." Nick stated, looking the girl dead in the eye, making the girl fidget again.

Carrie nodded, "I don't wish to answer violence with violence, Mr. Fury. I'll protect a life when needed, but I'm not a warrior like Mr. Odinson and everyone here is. I'm not brave enough, nor am I capable of such a thing. I'd only be a burden to your team." she said, doubtful that she would reach their expectations.

Nick sighed, having expected resistance from the girl who would have the potential of being an Avenger. "Is that your answer, you have no wish to be an Avenger?" he asked, not breaking eye contact as the girl nodded, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Fury." she said, looking down in shame.

Nick hummed, "That's fine, you don't want to be a fighter, you don't have to be." he said, making the team turn to him in confusion, wondering where he was going with this. "But, that won't stop other parties from coming after you."

Carrie looked at him in question, "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, there are worse people out there who would want you to work for them, and they will not ask nicely." He leaned forward, giving her a direct look, "They will capture you, torment you, lock you up in something smaller than that prayer closet your mother always sent you to make you obedient." Steve was about to speak up when he saw how Carrie tensed up at the mention of what her mother had done, but Nick didn't stop, "And when they finally break you into becoming their weapon, they'll send you after innocent people to use your powers on. You'll be less than human, just another creature for my people to exterminate."

The lights above flickered, catching their attention as the girl's eyes widened in fear over what Nick just told her. "Nick, that's a bit overboard." Steve said, glaring at the Director as Carrie trembled at the thought of being exterminated for having powers.

"I'm just giving her the honest truth, no matter how terrifying it is." Nick said, looking at the girl who was trying to reign in her emotions. "This is not a threat, it's reality. Worst people out there will not hesitate to hurt you, even expirement on you, to get what they want. Your power is too valuable and dangerous to go unchecked." He added, earning glares from around the table for his callous statement.

"Nick, stop using your scare tactics to bully a girl into joining the Avengers. We're better than that." Tony said, not happy with how Nick was trying to make Carrie join.

"I don't just want her on the Avengers for her power. I want her to stick around to keep the Hulk in check should Bruce fail." Nick said bluntly, making the scientist turn to him in surprise.

"Wait, is that what this is all about?" Bruce asked, glancing between a frightful Carrie and the Director.

"That's one of the reasons why she's here." Nick answered as Bruce let out an exasperated sigh, "You could've just led off with that instead of making a little girl cry. It was completely unnessesary." he exclaimed, unhappy with how Nick was trying to solve the problem.

"I was building up to that." Nick said, "She was able to bring you back with no problem, and zero injuries. That's no easy feet for anyone."

Carrie spoke after a long period of silence listening to them talk about her, "I'm here to help Dr. Banner?" she asked, glancing at Bruce who looked uncomfortable for being the topic of conversation. "He looks alright to me." she commented, bringing a small smile to the doctor's face at her innocent view of him.

"For now." Nick said, making the doctor's smile disappear, "My superiors saw you handle the Hulk with no problem, so they ordered me to make you part of the team as an insurance policy to keep him from destroying property." he explained, stating the real reason why she was here in the first place.

"'Insurance policy'?" Tony repeated, giving Nick a look, "That sounds a little mean coming from you."

"Actually, it sounds nicer compared to all the other names I've been called in the past." Carrie said, not feeling insulted by the name.

Tony turned back to Carrie, raising his eyebrows, "Kid, every time you open your mouth about your past I just wanna give you a hug...and I never hug anybody."

"It's true." Clint nodded, taking a swig of his beer again.

"Can we get back to the subject at hand please?" Nick said, trying to remain patient and finish this on a good note. "There is another matter you have to take into account Ms. White." he began, watching Carrie carefully, "Aside from your use of powers and your unfounded ability to get close to the Hulk, where were you planning to go after you got away from your mother?"

Carrie looked down, unsure of her answer, "I don't know. I just wanted to be somewhere far away from Chamberlain, some place that would never hurt me for being different."

Nick nodded, "Exactly, reason number three. You have no home, no job, no family, and no education." he stated, listing Carrie's main problem then added, "You are also a minor. In any case scenario, you'd be put into the foster system until you were officially and legally an adult. Considering your personality, you'd be eaten alive." he said, knowing what the foster system would do to kids as soft as her.

Tony was the next to speak, "What Director Eye Patch is trying to say is, you help Bruce here keep the Hulk under wraps should the occasion arrive, and we give you a place to stay, we can even help you hone your telekinesis. So, help us help you." he finished, going into business mode.

Carrie thought about the deal, it had some merit and it would satisfy both sides. "Mmmm, I'm still not sure." she said doubtfully as she turned to Bruce, "Do you really want a someone like me hanging around you constantly? I don't wanna be a bother to you."

"Believe me, I could be stuck with someone far worse." Bruce said, giving the girl an understanding smile, "To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't mind. Plus, I could use an assistant who can handle dangerous objects without touching them for some of my projects. I can't think of anyone better." he said, making Carrie smile at the thought of being needed like this.

"Living here is not as bad as it seems." Clint chimed in, "Yes, our occupation is dangerous and Tony is annoying at times," the man in question glared at the archer, "but this team is like a family. I know it's a foreign concept to you after everything you've been through, but this may be something you need. God gave you a gift, you must use it well." Carrie's eyes widened, remembering the exact words the priest said to her when she sought council and guidance.

"The priest said that to me last night." Carrie said, looking Clint in the eye before he admitted, "I listened in on your conversation while I was following you. You can throw me into a wall later if that makes you feel better." he said, making Carrie giggle under breath while the rest either shook their head at him or chuckled. "My point is Carrie, you can use your powers to help people, protect them from greater threats. You asked what your purpose was in this world, this should be your answer." he finished his speech, waiting for her response along with the rest of the team.

Carrie was silent as she mulled over the archer's words along with everyone who spoke about the reasons why she should join their team. She never thought herself as a fighter, not since she was little, but yesterday's mishap proved that she can at least protect people with her abilities and end disputes with minimal damage. Seeing how she has been on her own this past week, it would only be a matter of time before other people came after her just like Nick said if she should continue running. There was also the matter of Bruce having another Hulk episode, she went through the possibility of him losing control and her not being there to stop him. If he had continued on with his rampage like he did before she subdued him, no doubt more people would get hurt. The Director also pointed out how she is alone and pretty much homeless and without any education. She didn't have a destination in mind when she left Chamberlain, but maybe she was meant to come here as God intended for her.

After a long period of contemplating their offer, she looked up at them, "The priest told me that God would send me some kind of sign." she paused, remembering the kind man's wisdom as she sighed, "I can take a hint." she said, giving them her answer.

"So you'll join?" Natasha asked as Carrie nodded, "As long as I'm needed."

Nick smiled before pulling out a folded piece of paper from his coat and held it out for Carrie, "Good, then I'll need you to sign this form."

Carrie held her hand out to the piece of paper, using her power to make it float out of his hand and come to her. The team watched as the paper flew towards her until it unfolded itself and landed in her hands. She read over the form, scrutinizing every word, then reread it again when she got to particular section. Looking up at Nick, she asked, "The Avengers is going to be my foster home?" The man shrugged, "Can't think of a better place for one such as yourself."

Carrie glanced at the Avengers who didn't seem to protest at the idea. "You are living with us after all, so why not?" Tony said, shrugging his shoulders, not opposed to being the kid's foster family after the way that shitty mother raised her.

Carrie let out a breath after a moment then asked, "Does anyone have a pen I can borrow?" Tony held up a pen which she summoned to her hand with her power then began to sign the form.

"I'll never get tired of that." Tony said, enjoying the displays of telekinesis as she levitated the items back to their original holders. Nick pocketed the contract then stood up, "Well, my work here is done, I can finally tell the Council they have nothing to worry about. I'll check in soon." and with that, Nick was out of the building, leaving the Avengers alone with their newest recruit.

Tony was the first to break the silence, "Well, that was quite a ride. Once you're finished with your breakfast, we have to discuss your training and your schooling since you have not graduated yet." he said to Carrie who looked at him in surprise. Before she can voice her surprise, Steve beat her to it, "Don't you think this is a little fast, she just got here." Then, like parents discussing their child's education, they began to argue like an old married couple while Carrie sat silently as she ate her breakfast.

Natasha appeared beside her with a glass of juice. "Um, am I going to enjoy this?" Carrie asked the woman, suddenly unsure if she made the right decision to stay here.

The red head smiled, brushing Carrie's strawberry hair behind her ears, "Trust me, it's more fun than it looks." she said, making the girl smile as they watched Steve and Tony argue, which was very entertaining for the team to watch.

Carrie giggled when Tony began poking Steve like a little kid, "This might not be so bad after all." she said, for the first time in her young life, she was home.

* * *

_**I'm leaving this as a one shot. What happens after is how you imagine it to be, because I don't like leaving people hanging and anticipating what happens next.**_


End file.
